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			THE REALM WHERE NO LAWS EXIST!



THE BIG BOOK OF MISCHIEF 1.1

Preface

                 
     A couple of years ago, I began compiling a file filled with information
from the world-famous BBS Ripco.  The basis of this file was, of course, THE
TERRORIST'S HANDBOOK,an incredible book that was never published.  Ripco fell
prey to Operation Sundevil.  I printed out two copies of this file: Both went
to friends.  These are the only copies of the original version of this file in
existence.  I suffered a hard disk crash which wiped out the subdirectory in
which my original file resided. Today, August 8th, 1990, at 1 AM, I found a
copy of The Terrorist's Handbook on a BBS, and recombined it with some other
G-files. Hope you like it.  And remember, the First Amendment is not a shield.
Care must be taken to ensure that no law is broken when information is gained
or divulged. I have read every word of this file, and swear that no article of
this document is illegal in any way.

                                                       The Editor
4/12/91 -- New guideline:  If you modify this file, please put the date and 
           info about modifications in the revision history.  This is to
           keep the new versions of the file in order, to aid updating.

Revision history:

1987-1989         Compilation of original file
Early 1990        Original file lost in crash
August 8, 1990    File reborn as The Complete Terrorist
March 31, 1991    In February, I had a major loss of data, but regained TCT
                  from a local BBS.  I did some cosmetic work and killed some
                  redundancies, and renamed the file to TBBOM. Total file size   
                  is now about 172 printed pages. (You may wish to print this    
                  file out and bind it in a binder)
April 12, 1991    File revised by David Richards on Ripco II.  Some deletions
                  and many valuable additions. Message about new additions
                  added to preface.  I (The Editor) felt that the file should
                  have version numbers, so, in light of the additions by 
                  David Richards, the first volume number is 1.1.


                    THE BIG BOOK OF MISCHIEF




PART 1 - The Terrorist's Handbook - Self explanatory. 

                           THE TERRORIST'S HANDBOOK

1.0     INTRODUCTION

     Gunzenbomz Pyro-Technologies, a division of Chaos Industries (CHAOS), is
proud to present this first edition of The Terrorist's Handbook.  First and
foremost, let it be stated that Chaos Industries assumes no responsibilities
for any misuse of the information presented in this publication.  The purpose
of this is to show the many techniques and methods used by those people in
this and other countries who employ terror as a means to political and social
goals. The techniques herein can be obtained from public libraries, and can
usually be carried out by a terrorist with minimal equipment.  This makes one
all the more frightened, since any lunatic or social deviant could obtain this
information, and use it against anyone.  The processes and techniques herein
SHOULD NOT BE CARRIED OUT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!  SERIOUS HARM OR DEATH
COULD OCCUR FROM ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM ANY OF THE METHODS IN THIS PUBLICATION.
THIS IS MERELY FOR READING ENJOYMENT, AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR ACTUAL USE!!

Gunzenbomz Pyro-Technologies feels that it is important that everyone has some
idea of just how easy it is for a terrorist to perform acts of terror; that is
the reason for the existence of this publication.



1.1          Table of Contents
             

2.0 .......  BUYING EXPLOSIVES AND PROPELLANTS
2.01 ........  Black Powder
2.02 ........  Pyrodex
2.03 ........  Rocket Engine Powder
2.04 ........  Rifle/Shotgun Powder
2.05 ........  Flash Powder
2.06 ........  Ammonium Nitrate
2.1 .......  ACQUIRING CHEMICALS
2.11 ........  Techniques for Picking Locks
2.2 .......  LIST OF USEFUL HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND AVAILABILITY 
2.3 .......  PREPARATION OF CHEMICALS
2.31 ........  Nitric Acid
2.32 ........  Sulfuric Acid
2.33 ........  Ammonium Nitrate
3.0 .......  EXPLOSIVE RECIPES
3.01 ........  Explosive Theory
3.1 .......  IMPACT EXPLOSIVES
3.11 ........  Ammonium Triiodide Crystals
3.12 ........  Mercury Fulminate
3.13 ........  Nitroglycerine
3.14 ........  Picrates
3.2 .......  LOW ORDER EXPLOSIVES
3.21 ........  Black Powder
3.22 ........  Nitrocellulose
3.23 ........  Fuel + Oxodizer mixtures
3.24 ........  Perchlorates
3.3 .......  HIGH ORDER EXPLOSIVES
3.31 ........  R.D.X. (Cyclonite)
3.32 ........  Ammonium Nitrate
3.33 ........  ANFOS
3.34 ........  T.N.T.
3.35 ........  Potassium Chlorate
3.36 ........  Dynamite
3.37 ........  Nitrostarch Explosives
3.38 ........  Picric Acid
3.39 ........  Ammonium Picrate (Explosive D)
3.40 ........  Nitrogen Trichloride
3.41 ........  Lead Azide
3.5 .......  OTHER "EXPLOSIVES"
3.51 ........  Thermit
3.52 ........  Molotov Cocktails
3.53 ........  Chemical Fire Bottle
3.54 ........  Bottled Gas Explosives



4.0 .......  USING EXPLOSIVES
4.1 .......  SAFETY
4.2 .......  IGNITION DEVICES
4.21 ........  Fuse Ignition
4.22 ........  Impact Ignition
4.23 ........  Electrical Ignition
4.24 ........  Electro - Mechanical Ignition
4.241 .......  Mercury Switches
4.242 .......  Tripwire Switches
4.243 .......  Radio Control Detonators
4.3 .......  DELAYS
4.31 ........  Fuse Delays
4.32 ........  Timer Delays
4.33 ........  Chemical Delays
4.4 .......  EXPLOSIVE CONTAINERS
4.41 ........  Paper Containers
4.42 ........  Metal Containers
4.43 ........  Glass Containers
4.44 ........  Plastic Containers
4.5 .......  ADVANCED USES FOR EXPLOSIVES
4.51 ........  Shaped Charges
4.52 ........  Tube Explosives
4.53 ........  Atomized Particle Explosions
4.54 ........  Lightbulb Bombs
4.55 ........  Book Bombs
4.56 ........  Phone Bombs
5.0 .......  SPECIAL AMMUNITION FOR PROJECTILE WEAPONS
5.1 .......  PROJECTILE WEAPONS (PRIMITIVE)
5.11 ........  Bow and Crossbow Ammunition
5.12 ........  Blowgun Ammunition
5.13 ........  Wrist Rocket and Slingshot Ammunition
5.2 .......  PROJECTILE WEAPONS (FIREARMS)
5.21 ........  Handgun Ammunition
5.22 ........  Shotguns
5.3 .......  PROJECTILE WEAPONS (COMPRESSED GAS)
5.31 ........  .177 Caliber B.B Gun Ammunition
5.32 ........  .22 Caliber Pellet Gun Ammunition
6.0 .......  ROCKETS AND CANNONS
6.1 .......  ROCKETS
6.11 ........  Basic Rocket-Bomb
6.12 ........  Long Range Rocket-Bomb
6.13 ........  Multiple Warhead Rocket-Bombs
6.2 ........ CANNONS
6.21 ........  Basic Pipe Cannon
6.22 ........  Rocket-Firing Cannon
7.0 .......  PYROTECHNICA ERRATA
7.1 .........  Smoke Bombs
7.2 .........  Colored Flames
7.3 .........  Tear Gas
7.4 .........  Fireworks
7.41 ........  Firecrackers
7.42 ........  Skyrockets
7.43 ........  Roman Candles
8.0 .......  LISTS OF SUPPLIERS AND FURTHER INFORMATION
9.0 .......  CHECKLIST FOR RAIDS ON LABS
10.0 ......  USEFUL PYROCHEMISTRY
11.0 ......  ABOUT THE AUTHOR


2.0   BUYING EXPLOSIVES AND PROPELLANTS

     Almost any city or town of reasonable size has a gun store and a
pharmacy. These are two of the places that potential terrorists visit in order
to purchase explosive material.  All that one has to do is know something
about the non- explosive uses of the materials.  Black powder, for example, is
used in blackpowder firearms.  It comes in varying "grades", with each
different grade being a slightly different size.  The grade of black powder
depends on what the calibre of the gun that it is used in; a fine grade of
powder could burn too fast in the wrong caliber weapon.  The rule is: the
smaller the grade, the faster the burn rate of the powder.


2.01   BLACK POWDER

     Black powder is generally available in three grades.  As stated before, the
smaller the grade, the faster the powder burns.  Burn rate is extremely
important in bombs.  Since an explosion is a rapid increase of gas volume in a
confined environment, to make an explosion, a quick-burning powder is desirable.
The three common grades of black powder are listed below, along with the usual
bore width (calibre) of what they are used in.  Generally, the fastest burning
powder, the FFF grade is desirable.  However, the other grades and uses are
listed below:


     GRADE              BORE WIDTH               EXAMPLE OF GUN
                                  

     F                  .50 or greater           model cannon; some rifles
     FF                 .36 - .50                large pistols; small rifles
     FFF                .36 or smaller           pistols; derringers


     The FFF grade is the fastest burning, because the smaller grade has more
surface area or burning surface exposed to the flame front.  The larger grades
also have uses which will be discussed later.  The price range of black
powder, per pound, is about $8.50 - $9.00.  The price is not affected by the
grade, and so one saves oneself time and work if one buys the finer grade of
powder.  The major problems with black powder are that it can be ignited
accidentally by static electricity, and that it has a tendency to absorb
moisture from the air. To safely crush it, a bomber would use a plastic spoon
and a wooden salad bowl. Taking a small pile at a time, he or she would apply
pressure to the powder through the spoon and rub it in a series of strokes or
circles, but not too hard.  It is fine enough to use when it is about as fine
as flour.  The fineness, however, is dependant on what type of device one
wishes to make; obviously, it would be impracticle to crush enough powder to
fill a 1 foot by 4 inch radius pipe.  Anyone can purchase black powder, since
anyone can own black powder firearms in America.


2.02    PYRODEX


     Pyrodex is a synthetic powder that is used like black powder.  It comes
in the same grades, but it is more expensive per pound.  However, a one pound
container of pyrodex contains more material by volume than a pound of black
powder.  It is much easier to crush to a very fine powder than black powder,
and it is considerably safer and more reliable.  This is because it will not
be set off by static electricity, as black can be, and it is less inclined to
absorb moisture.  It costs about $10.00 per pound.  It can be crushed in the
same manner as black powder, or it can be dissolved in boiling water and
dried.


2.03        ROCKET ENGINE POWDER

     One of the most exciting hobbies nowadays is model rocketry.  Estes is
the largest producer of model rocket kits and engines.  Rocket engines are
composed of a single large grain of propellant.  This grain is surrounded by a
fairly heavy cardboard tubing.  One gets the propellant by slitting the tube
length- wise, and unwrapping it like a paper towel roll.  When this is done,
the grey fire clay at either end of the propellant grain must be removed.
This is usually done gently with a plastic or brass knife. The material is
exceptionally hard, and must be crushed to be used.  By gripping the grain on
the widest setting on a set of pliers, and putting the grain and powder in a
plastic bag, the powder will not break apart and shatter all over.  This
should be done to all the large chunks of powder, and then it should be
crushed like black powder. Rocket engines come in various sizes, ranging from
1/4 A - 2T to the incredibly powerful D engines.  The larger the engine, the
more expensive.  D engines come in packages of three, and cost about $5.00 per
package.  Rocket engines are perhaps the single most useful item sold in
stores to a terrorist, since they can be used as is, or can be cannibalized
for their explosive powder.

2.04       RIFLE/SHOTGUN POWDER

     Rifle powder and shotgun powder are really the same from a practicle
standpoint. They are both nitrocellulose based propellants. They will be
referred to as gunpowder in all future references. Gunpowder is made by the
action of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid upon cotton. This material is
then dissolved by solvents and then reformed in the desired grain size.  When
dealing with gunpowder, the grain size is not nearly as important as that of
black powder. Both large and small grained gunpowder burn fairly slowly compared
to black powder when unconfined, but when it is confined, gunpowder burns both
hotter and with more gaseous expansion, producing more pressure. Therefore, the
grinding process that is often necessary for other propellants is not necessary
for gunpowder.  Gunpowder costs about $9.00 per pound. Any idiot can buy it,
since there are no restrictions on rifles or shotguns in the U.S.

2.05       FLASH POWDER

      Flash powder is a mixture of powdered zirconium metal and various
oxidizers. It is extremely sensitive to heat or sparks, and should be treated
with more care than black powder, with which it should NEVER be mixed. It is
sold in small containers which must be mixed and shaken before use. It is very
finely powdered, and is available in three speeds: fast, medium, and slow. The
fast flash powder is the best for using in explosives or detonators.

     It burns very rapidly, regardless of confinement or packing, with a hot
white "flash", hence its name.  It is fairly expensive, costing about $11.00. It
is sold in magic shops and theatre supply stores.

2.06       AMMONIUM NITRATE

     Ammonium nitrate is a high explosive material that is often used as a
commercial "safety explosive"  It is very stable, and is difficult to ignite
with a match. It will only light if the glowing, red-hot part of a match is
touching it. It is also difficult to detonate; (the phenomenon of detonation
will be explained later) it requires a large shockwave to cause it to go high
explosive. Commercially, it is sometimes mixed with a small amount of nitro-
glycerine to increase its sensitivity. Ammonium nitrate is used in the "Cold-
Paks" or "Instant Cold", available in most drug stores. The "Cold Paks" consist
of a bag of water, surrounded by a second plastic bag containing the ammonium
nitrate. To get the ammonium nitrate, simply cut off the top of the outside bag,
remove the plastic bag of water, and save the ammonium nitrate in a well sealed,
airtight container, since it is rather hydroscopic, i.e. it tends to absorb
water from the air. It is also the main ingredient in many fertilizers.

2.1     ACQUIRING CHEMICALS

     The first section deals with getting chemicals legally. This section
deals with "procuring" them. The best place to steal chemicals is a college.
Many state schools have all of their chemicals out on the shelves in the labs,
and more in their chemical stockrooms. Evening is the best time to enter lab
buildings, as there are the least number of people in the buildings, and most
of the labs will still be unlocked. One simply takes a bookbag, wears a dress
shirt and jeans, and tries to resemble a college freshman. If anyone asks what
such a person is doing, the thief can simply say that he is looking for the
polymer chemistry lab, or some other chemistry-related department other than
the one they are in. One can usually find out where the various labs and
departments in a building are by calling the university. There are, of course
other techniques for getting into labs after hours, such as placing a piece of
cardboard in the latch of an unused door, such as a back exit. Then, all one
needs to do is come back at a later hour. Also, before this is done,
terrorists check for security systems. If one just walks into a lab, even if
there is someone there, and walks out the back exit, and slip the cardboard in
the latch before the door closes, the person in the lab will never know what
happened. It is also a good idea to observe the building that one plans to rob
at the time that one plans to rob it several days before the actual theft is
done. This is advisable since the would- be thief should know when and if the
campus security makes patrols through buildings. Of course, if none of these
methods are successful, there is always section 2.11, but as a rule, college
campus security is pretty poor, and nobody suspects another person in the
building of doing anything wrong, even if they are there at an odd hour.


2.11     TECHNIQUES FOR PICKING LOCKS

     If it becomes necessary to pick a lock to enter a lab, the world's most
effective lockpick is dynamite, followed by a sledgehammer.  There are
unfortu- nately, problems with noise and excess structural damage with these
methods. The next best thing, however, is a set of army issue lockpicks.

These, unfortunately, are difficult to acquire. If the door to a lab is locked,
but the deadbolt is not engaged, then there are other possibilities. The rule
here is: if one can see the latch, one can open the door. There are several
devices which facilitate freeing the latch from its hole in the wall. Dental
tools, stiff wire ( 20 gauge ), specially bent aluminum from cans, thin pocket-
knives, and credit cards are the tools of the trade. The way that all these
tools and devices are uses is similar: pull, push, or otherwise move the latch
out of its hole in the wall, and pull the door open. This is done by sliding
whatever tool that you are using behind the latch, and pulling the latch out
from the wall. To make an aluminum-can lockpick, terrorists can use an aluminum
can and carefully cut off the can top and bottom. Cut off the cans' ragged ends.
Then, cut the open-ended cylinder so that it can be flattened out into a single
long rectangle. This should then be cut into inch wide strips. Fold the strips
in 1/4 inch increments (1). One will have a long quadruple-thick 1/4 inch wide
strip of aluminum. This should be folded into an L-shape, a J-shape, or a U-
shape. This is done by folding. The pieces would look like this:


 (1)

 _______________________________________________________    v 1/4    
|_______________________________________________________|    | 1/4    
|_______________________________________________________|    | 1 inch 1/4    
|_______________________________________________________|    | 1/4    
|_______________________________________________________|    |                   
                                                  ^

     Fold along lines to make a single quadruple-thick piece of aluminum. This
should then be folded to produce an L,J,or U shaped device that looks like this:
                 ________________________________________
                /________________________________________|                       
               | |
               | |          L-shaped
               | |
               | |
               |_|

                       _____________________________
                      / ___________________________|
                     | |
                     | |     J-shaped
                     | |
                     | |________
                      \________|

                       _____________________
                      / ___________________|
                     | |
                     | |
                     | |     U-shaped
                     | |
                     | |____________________
                      \____________________|


     All of these devices should be used to hook the latch of a door and pull
the latch out of its hole.  The folds in the lockpicks will be between the door
and the wall, and so the device will not unfold, if it is made properly.

Addendum 4/12/91

     Another method of forced entry is to use an automobile jack to force the
frame around the door out of shape, freeing the latch or exposing it to the
above methods. This is possible because most door frames are designed with a
slight amount of "give". Simply put the jack into position horizontally across
the frame in the vicinty of the latch, and jack it out. If the frame is wood
it may be possible to remove the jack after shutting the door, which will
relock the door and leave few signs of forced entry.


2.2      LIST OF USEFUL HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND THEIR AVAILABILITY

     Anyone can get many chemicals from hardware stores, supermarkets, and
drug stores to get the materials to make explosives or other dangerous
compounds.  A would-be terrorist would merely need a station wagon and some
money to acquire many of the chemicals named here.

Chemical                Used In                         Available at
________                _______                         ____________

alcohol, ethyl *       alcoholic beverages            liquor stores
                       solvents (95% min. for both)   hardware stores

ammonia +            CLEAR household ammonia        supermarkets/7-eleven

ammonium               instant-cold paks,            drug stores, nitrate
                       fertilizers                   medical supply stores

nitrous oxide          pressurizing whip cream        party supply stores
                       poppers (like CO2 ctgs.)       Head shops, The Alley
                                                      Belmont/Clark, Chgo
magnesium              firestarters                   surplus/camping stores

lecithin               vitamins                       pharmacies/drug stores

mineral oil            cooking, laxative              supermarket/drug stores

mercury @              mercury thermometers      supermarkets/hardware stores

sulfuric acid          uncharged car batteries        automotive stores

glycerine                     ?                       pharmacies/drug stores

sulfur                 gardening                     gardening/hardware store

charcoal               charcoal grills          supermarkets/gardening stores

sodium nitrate         fertilizer                     gardening store

cellulose (cotton)     first aid                   drug/medical supply stores

strontium nitrate      road flares                    surplus/auto stores,

fuel oil               kerosene stoves                surplus/camping stores,

bottled gas            propane stoves                 surplus/camping stores,

potassium permanganate water purification             purification plants

hexamine or            hexamine stoves                surplus/camping stores
methenamine            (camping)

nitric acid ^          cleaning printing              printing shops             
                       plates                         photography stores

Iodine                 disinfectant (tinture)         Pharmacy, OSCO

sodium perchlorate     solidox pellets                hardware stores
                       (VERY impure)                  for cutting torches


notes: * ethyl alcohol is mixed with methyl alcohol when it is used as a
solvent. Methyl alcohol is very poisonous. Solvent alcohol must be at least
95% ethyl alcohol if it is used to make mercury fulminate. Methyl alcohol may
prevent mercury fulminate from forming.

     + Ammonia, when bought in stores comes in a variety of forms.  The pine
and cloudy ammonias should not be bought; only the clear ammonia should be
used to make ammonium triiodide crystals.

     @ Mercury thermometers are becoming a rarity, unfortunately.  They may be
hard to find in most stores as they have been superseded by alcohol and other
less toxic fillings. Mercury is also used in mercury switches, which are
available at electronics stores. Mercury is a hazardous substance, and should
be kept in the thermometer or mercury switch until used. It gives off mercury
vapors which will cause brain damage if inhaled.  For this reason, it is a
good idea not to spill mercury, and to always use it outdoors. Also, do not
get it in an open cut; rubber gloves will help prevent this.

     ^ Nitric acid is very difficult to find nowadays.  It is usually stolen
by bomb makers, or made by the process described in a later section.  A
desired concentration for making explosives about 70%.


     & The iodine sold in drug stores is usually not the pure crystaline form
that is desired for producing ammonium triiodide crystals. To obtain the pure
form, it must usually be acquired by a doctor's prescription, but this can be
expensive.  Once again, theft is the means that terrorists result to.


2.3      PREPARATION OF CHEMICALS

2.31     NITRIC ACID


       There are several ways to make this most essential of all acids for  
explosives. One method by which it could be made will be presented. Once  
again, be reminded that these methods SHOULD NOT BE CARRIED OUT!!

     Materials:                             Equipment:
                                   
     sodium nitrate or                      adjustable heat source     
     potassium nitrate
                                            retort
     distilled water
                                            ice bath
     concentrated
     sulfuric acid                          stirring rod

                                            collecting flask with stopper

1) Pour 32 milliliters of concentrated sulfuric acid into the retort.

2) Carefully weigh out 58 grams of sodium nitrate, or 68 grams of potassium
nitrate. and add this to the acid slowly.  If it all does not dissolve,
carefully stir the solution with a glass rod until it does.

3) Place the open end of the retort into the collecting flask, and place the   
collecting flask in the ice bath.

4) Begin heating the retort, using low heat.  Continue heating until liquid
begins to come out of the end of the retort.  The liquid that forms is nitric
acid.  Heat until the precipitate in the bottom of the retort is almost dry,
or until no more nitric acid is forming.  CAUTION: If the acid is headed too
strongly, the nitric acid will decompose as soon as it is formed.  This can
result in the production of highly flammable and toxic gasses that may
explode.  It is a good idea to set the above apparatus up, and then get away
from it.

     Potassium nitrate could also be obtained from store-bought black powder,
simply by dissolving black powder in boiling water and filtering out the sulfur
and charcoal. To obtain 68 g of potassium nitrate, it would be necessary to
dissolve about 90 g of black powder in about one litre of boiling water. Filter
the dissolved solution through filter paper in a funnel into a jar until the
liquid that pours through is clear. The charcoal and sulfur in black powder are
insoluble in water, and so when the solution of water is allowed to evaporate,
potassium nitrate will be left in the jar.

2.32     SULFURIC ACID

     Sulfuric acid is far too difficult to make outside of a laboratory or
industrial plant.  However, it is readily available in an uncharged car
battery. A person wishing to make sulfuric acid would simply remove the top of
a car battery and pour the acid into a glass container.  There would probably
be pieces of lead from the battery in the acid which would have to be removed,
either by boiling or filtration.  The concentration of the sulfuric acid can
also be increased by boiling it; very pure sulfuric acid pours slightly faster
than clean motor oil.


2.33     AMMONIUM NITRATE

     Ammonium nitrate is a very powerful but insensitive high-order explosive.
It could be made very easily by pouring nitric acid into a large flask in an ice
bath. Then, by simply pouring household ammonia into the flask and running away,
ammonium nitrate would be formed. After the materials have stopped reacting, one
would simply have to leave the solution in a warm place until all of the water
and any unneutralized ammonia or acid have evaporated. There would be a fine
powder formed, which would be ammonium nitrate. It must be kept in an airtight
container, because of its tendency to pick up water from the air.  The crystals
formed in the above process would have to be heated VERY gently to drive off the
remaining water.


3.0     EXPLOSIVE RECIPES

     Once again, persons reading this material MUST NEVER ATTEMPT TO PRODUCE
ANY OF THE EXPLOSIVES DESCRIBED HEREIN.  IT IS ILLEGAL AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
TO ATTEMPT TO DO SO.  LOSS OF LIFE AND/OR LIMB COULD EASILY OCCUR AS A RESULT
OF ATTEMPTING TO PRODUCE EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS.

     These recipes are theoretically correct, meaning that an individual could
conceivably produce the materials described.  The methods here are usually
scaled-down industrial procedures.







3.01     EXPLOSIVE THEORY

     An explosive is any material that, when ignited by heat or shock,
undergoes rapid decomposition or oxidation.  This process releases energy that
is stored in the material in the form of heat and light, or by breaking down
into gaseous compounds that occupy a much larger volume that the original
piece of material. Because this expansion is very rapid, large volumes of air
are displaced by the expanding gasses.  This expansion occurs at a speed
greater than the speed of sound, and so a sonic boom occurs.  This explains
the mechanics behind an explosion.  Explosives occur in several forms:
high-order explosives which detonate, low order explosives, which burn, and
primers, which may do both.

     High order explosives detonate.  A detonation occurs only in a high order
explosive.  Detonations are usually incurred by a shockwave that passes
through a block of the high explosive material.  The shockwave breaks apart
the molecular bonds between the atoms of the substance, at a rate
approximately equal to the speed of sound traveling through that material.  In
a high explosive, the fuel and oxodizer are chemically bonded, and the
shockwave breaks apart these bonds, and re-combines the two materials to
produce mostly gasses. T.N.T., ammonium nitrate, and R.D.X. are examples of
high order explosives.

     Low order explosives do not detonate; they burn, or undergo oxidation.
when heated, the fuel(s) and oxodizer(s) combine to produce heat, light, and
gaseous products.  Some low order materials burn at about the same speed under
pressure as they do in the open, such as blackpowder. Others, such as
gunpowder, which is correctly called nitrocellulose, burn much faster and
hotter when they are in a confined space, such as the barrel of a firearm;
they usually burn much slower than blackpowder when they are ignited in
unpressurized conditions. Black powder, nitrocellulose, and flash powder are
good examples of low order explosives.


     Primers are peculiarities to the explosive field.  Some of them, such as
mercury filminate, will function as a low or high order explosive.  They are
usually more sensitive to friction, heat, or shock, than the high or low
explosives.  Most primers perform like a high order explosive, except that
they are much more sensitive.  Still others merely burn, but when they are
confined, they burn at a great rate and with a large expansion of gasses and a
shockwave. Primers are usually used in a small amount to initiate, or cause to
decompose, a high order explosive, as in an artillery shell.  But, they are
also frequently used to ignite a low order explosive;  the gunpowder in a
bullet is ignited by the detonation of its primer.

3.1     IMPACT EXPLOSIVES

     Impact explosives are often used as primers.  Of the ones discussed here,
only mercury fulminate and nitroglycerine are real explosives; Ammonium
triiodide crystals decompose upon impact, but they release little heat and no
light.  Impact explosives are always treated with the greatest care, and even
the stupidest anarchist never stores them near any high or low explosives.


3.11    AMMONIUM TRIIODIDE CRYSTALS

     Ammonium triiodide crystals are foul-smelling purple colored crystals
that decompose under the slightest amount of heat, friction, or shock, if they
are made with the purest ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) and iodine.  Such
crystals are said to detonate when a fly lands on them, or when an ant walks
across them. Household ammonia, however, has enough impurities, such as soaps
and abrasive agents, so that the crystals will detonate when thrown,crushed,
or heated.  Upon detonation, a loud report is heard, and a cloud of purple
iodine gas appears about the detonation site.  Whatever the unfortunate
surface that the crystal was detonated upon will usually be ruined, as some of
the iodine in the crystal is thrown about in a solid form, and iodine is
corrosive.  It leaves nasty, ugly, permanent brownish-purple stains on
whatever it contacts. Iodine gas is also bad news, since it can damage lungs,
and it settles to the ground and stains things there also.  Touching iodine
leaves brown stains on the skin that last for about a week, unless they are
immediately and vigorously washed off.  While such a compound would have
little use to a serious terrorist, a vandal could utilize them in damaging
property.  Or, a terrorist could throw several of them into a crowd as a
distraction, an action which would possibly injure a few people, but frighten
almost anyone, since a small crystal that not be seen when thrown produces a
rather loud explosion.

    Ammonium triiodide crystals could be produced in the following manner:

     Materials                Equipment
                     

     iodine crystals          funnel and filter paper

                              paper towels
     clear ammonia
     (ammonium hydroxide,     two throw-away glass jars
      for the suicidal)


1) Place about two teaspoons of iodine into one of the glass jars.  The jars   
must both be throw away because they will never be clean again.

2) Add enough ammonia to completely cover the iodine.

3) Place the funnel into the other jar, and put the filter paper in the
 funnel. The technique for putting filter paper in a funnel is taught in every
 basic chemistry lab class: fold the circular paper in half, so that a
 semi-circle is formed.  Then, fold it in half again to form a triangle with
 one curved side.  Pull one thickness of paper out to form a cone, and place
 the cone into the funnel.

4) After allowing the iodine to soak in the ammonia for a while, pour the   
solution into the paper in the funnel through the filter paper.

5) While the solution is being filtered, put more ammonia into the first jar   
to wash any remaining crystals into the funnel as soon as it drains.

6) Collect all the purplish crystals without touching the brown filter paper,
and place them on the paper towels to dry for about an hour.  Make sure that
they are not too close to any lights or other sources of heat, as they could
well detonate. While they are still wet, divide the wet material into about
eight chunks.

7) After they dry, gently place the crystals onto a one square inch piece of
duct tape.  Cover it with a similar piece, and gently press the duct tape
together around the crystal, making sure not to press the crystal itself.
Finally, cut away most of the excess duct tape with a pair of scissors, and
store the crystals in a cool dry safe place.  They have a shelf life of about
a week, and they should be stored in individual containers that can be thrown
away, since they have a tendency to slowly decompose, a process which  gives
off iodine vapors, which will stain whatever they settle on.  One possible way
to increase their shelf life is to store them in airtight containers.  To use
them, simply throw them against any surface or place them where they will be
stepped on or crushed.


3.12      MERCURY FULMINATE


     Mercury fulminate is perhaps one of the oldest known initiating
compounds. It can be detonated by either heat or shock, which would make it of
infinite value to a terrorist.  Even the action of dropping a crystal of the
fulminate causes it to explode.  A person making this material would probably
use the following procedure:

     MATERIALS                  EQUIPMENT
                       

     mercury (5 g)              glass stirring rod

     concentrated nitric        100 ml beaker (2)
     acid (35 ml)
                                adjustable heat
     ethyl alcohol (30 ml)      source

     distilled water            blue litmus paper

                                funnel and filter paper


1) In one beaker, mix 5 g of mercury with 35 ml of concentrated nitric acid,   
using the glass rod.

2) Slowly heat the mixture until the mercury is dissolved, which is when the   
solution turns green and boils.

3) Place 30 ml of ethyl alcohol into the second beaker, and slowly and
   carefully add all of the contents of the first beaker to it.  Red and/or
   brown fumes should appear. These fumes are toxic and flammable.

4) After thirty to forty minutes, the fumes should turn white, indicating that
the reaction is near completion.  After ten more minutes, add 30 ml of the
distilled water to the solution.

5) Carefully filter out the crystals of mercury fulminate from the liquid
solution.  Dispose of the solution in a safe place, as it is corrosive    and
toxic.

6) Wash the crystals several times in distilled water to remove as much excess
acid as possible.  Test the crystals with the litmus paper until they are
neutral.   This will be when the litmus paper stays blue when it touches the
wet crystals

7) Allow the crystals to dry, and store them in a safe place, far away from
any explosive or flammable material.


       This procedure can also be done by volume, if the available mercury  
cannot be weighed.  Simply use 10 volumes of nitric acid and 10 volumes of  
ethanol to every one volume of mercury.


3.13       NITROGLYCERINE

     Nitroglycerine is one of the most sensitive explosives, if it is not the
most sensitive.  Although it is possible to make it safely, it is difficult.
Many a young anarchist has been killed or seriously injured while trying to
make the stuff.  When Nobel's factories make it, many people were killed by
the all- to-frequent factory explosions.  Usually, as soon as it is made, it
is converted into a safer substance, such as dynamite.  An idiot who attempts
to make nitroglycerine would use the following procedure:

     MATERIAL               EQUIPMENT
                    

     distilled water        eye-dropper

     table salt             100 ml beaker

     sodium bicarbonate     200-300 ml beakers (2)

     concentrated nitric    ice bath container
     acid (13 ml)           ( a plastic bucket serves well )

     concentrated sulfuric  centigrade thermometer
     acid (39 ml)
                             blue litmus paper
     glycerine


1) Place 150 ml of distilled water into one of the 200-300 ml beakers.

2) In the other 200-300 ml beaker, place 150 ml of distilled water and about a
spoonful of sodium bicarbonate, and stir them until the sodium bicarbonate
dissolves.  Do not put so much sodium bicarbonate in the water so that some
remains undissolved.

3) Create an ice bath by half filling the ice bath container with ice, and
adding table salt.  This will cause the ice to melt, lowering the overall
temperature.

4) Place the 100 ml beaker into the ice bath, and pour the 13 ml of
  concentrated nitric acid into the 100 ml beaker.  Be sure that the beaker
  will not spill into the ice bath, and that the ice bath will not overflow
  into the beaker when more materials are added to it.  Be sure to have a
  large enough ice bath container to add more ice.  Bring the temperature of
  the acid down to about 20 degrees centigrade or less.
 

5) When the nitric acid is as cold as stated above, slowly and carefully add
  the 39 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid to the nitric acid.  Mix the two
  acids together, and cool the mixed acids to 10 degrees centigrade.  It is a
  good idea to start another ice bath to do this.

6) With the eyedropper, slowly put the glycerine into the mixed acids, one
 drop at a time.  Hold the thermometer along the top of the mixture where the
 mixed acids and glycerine meet.

      DO NOT ALLOW THE TEMPERATURE TO GET ABOVE 30 DEGREES CENTIGRADE; IF
        THE TEMPERATURE RISES ABOVE THIS TEMPERATURE, RUN LIKE HELL!!!

   The glycerine will start to nitrate immediately, and the temperature will
  immediately begin to rise.  Add glycerine until there is a thin layer of
 glycerine on top of the mixed acids.  It is always safest to make any
 explosive in small quantities.

7) Stir the mixed acids and glycerine for the first ten minutes of nitration,
adding ice and salt to the ice bath to keep the temperature of the solution in
the 100 ml beaker well below 30 degrees centigrade.  Usually, the
nitroglycerine will form on the top of the mixed acid solution, and the
concentrated sulfuric acid will absorb the water produced by the reaction.

8) When the reaction is over, and when the nitroglycerine is well below 30
degrees centigrade, slowly and carefully pour the solution of nitroglycerine
and mixed acid into the distilled water in the beaker in step 1.  The
nitroglycerine should settle to the bottom of the beaker, and the water-acid
solution on top can be poured off and disposed of. Drain as much of the acid-
water solution as possible without disturbing the nitroglycerine.

9) Carefully remove the nitroglycerine with a clean eye-dropper, and place it
into the beaker in step 2.  The sodium bicarbonate solution will eliminate
much of the acid, which will make the nitroglycerine more stable, and less
likely to explode for no reason, which it can do.  Test the nitroglycerine
with the litmus paper until the litmus stays blue.  Repeat this step if
necessary, and use new sodium bicarbonate solutions as in step 2.

10) When the nitroglycerine is as acid-free as possible, store it in a clean    
container in a safe place.  The best place to store nitroglycerine is     far
away from anything living, or from anything of any value.     Nitroglycerine can
explode for no apparent reason, even if it is stored     in a secure cool place.


3.14     PICRATES

     Although the procedure for the production of picric acid, or
trinitrophenol has not yet been given, its salts are described first, since
they are extremely sensitive, and detonate on impact.  By mixing picric acid
with metal hydroxides, such as sodium or potassium hydroxide, and evaporating
the water, metal picrates can be formed.  Simply obtain picric acid, or
produce it, and mix it with a solution of (preferably) potassium hydroxide, of
a mid range molarity.  (about 6-9 M)  This material, potassium picrate, is
impact-sensitive, and can be used as an initiator for any type of high
explosive.

3.2      LOW-ORDER EXPLOSIVES

     There are many low-order explosives that can be purchased in gun stores
and used in explosive devices. However, it is possible that a wise wise store
owner would not sell these substances to a suspicious-looking individual. Such
an individual would then be forced to resort to making his own low-order
explosives.

3.21     BLACK POWDER

     First made by the Chinese for use in fireworks, black powder was first
used in weapons and explosives in the 12th century.  It is very simple to
make, but it is not very powerful or safe.  Only about 50% of black powder is
converted to hot gasses when it is burned; the other half is mostly very fine
burned particles.  Black powder has one major problem: it can be ignited by
static electricity.  This is very bad, and it means that the material must be
made with wooden or clay tools.  Anyway, a misguided individual could
manufacture black powder at home with the following procedure:

     MATERIALS               EQUIPMENT
                    
     potassium               clay grinding bowl
     nitrate (75 g)          and clay grinder

       or                         or

     sodium                  wooden salad bowl
     nitrate (75 g)          and wooden spoon

     sulfur (10 g)           plastic bags (3)

     charcoal (15 g)         300-500 ml beaker (1)

     distilled water         coffee pot or heat source



1) Place a small amount of the potassium or sodium nitrate in the grinding
 bowl and grind it to a very fine powder.  Do this to all of the potassium or
 sodium nitrate, and store the ground powder in one of the plastic bags.

2) Do the same thing to the sulfur and charcoal, storing each chemical in a
separate plastic bag.

3) Place all of the finely ground potassium or sodium nitrate in the beaker,
   and add just enough boiling water to the chemical to get it all wet.

4) Add the contents of the other plastic bags to the wet potassium or sodium
nitrate, and mix them well for several minutes.  Do this until there is no
more visible sulfur or charcoal, or until the mixture is universally black.

5) On a warm sunny day, put the beaker outside in the direct sunlight.
  Sunlight is really the best way to dry black powder, since it is never too
  hot, but it is hot enough to evaporate the water.

6) Scrape the black powder out of the beaker, and store it in a safe
 container. Plastic is really the safest container, followed by paper.  Never
 store black powder in a plastic bag, since plastic bags are prone to generate
 static electricity.


3.22     NITROCELLULOSE

     Nitrocellulose is usually called "gunpowder" or "guncotton".  It is more
stable than black powder, and it produces a much greater volume of hot gas.  It
also burns much faster than black powder when it is in a confined space.
Finally, nitrocellulose is fairly easy to make, as outlined by the following
procedure:


     MATERIALS                    EQUIPMENT
                         
     cotton  (cellulose)          two (2) 200-300 ml beakers

     concentrated                 funnel and filter paper
     nitric acid
                                  blue litmus paper
     concentrated
     sulfuric acid

     distilled water



1) Pour 10 cc of concentrated sulfuric acid into the beaker.  Add to this    10
cc of concentrated nitric acid.

2) Immediately add 0.5 gm of cotton, and allow it to soak for exactly 3   
minutes.

3) Remove the nitrocotton, and transfer it to a beaker of distilled water    to
wash it in.

4) Allow the material to dry, and then re-wash it.

5) After the cotton is neutral when tested with litmus paper, it is ready to   
be dried and stored.


Addendum 4/12/91... true experience   From andrew at cmu.edu (internet)

> I used to make nitrocellulose, though. It was not guncotton grade, because I
>didn't have oleum (H2SO4 with dissolved SO3); nevertheless it worked. At
>first I got my H2SO4 from a little shop in downtown Philadelphia, which sold
>soda-acid fire extinguisher refills. Not only was the acid concentrated,
>cheap and plentiful, it came with enough carbonate to clean up. I'd add KNO3
>and a little water (OK, I'd add the acid to the water - but there was so
>little water, what was added to what made little difference. It spattered
>concentrated H2SO4 either way). Later on, when I could purchase the acids, I
>believe I used 3 parts H2SO4 to 1 part HNO3. For cotton, I'd use cotton wool
>or cotton cloth.
>
>Runaway nitration was commonplace, but it is usually not so disasterous with
>nitrocellulose as it is with nitroglycerine. For some reason, I tried washing
>the cotton cloth in a solution of lye, and rinsing it well in distilled
>water. I let the cloth dry and then nitrated it. (Did I read this somewhere?)
>When that product was nitrated, I never got a runaway reaction. BTW, water
>quenched the runaway reaction of cellulose.
>
>The product was washed thoroughly and allowed to dry. It dissolved (or turned
>into mush) in acetone. It dissolved in alcohol/ether.
>
>Warnings:
>
>All usual warnings regarding strong acids apply. H2SO4 likes to spatter. When
>it falls on the skin, it destroys tissue - often painfully. It dissolves all
>manner of clothing. Nitric also destroys skin, turning it bright yellow in
>the process. Nitric is an oxidant - it can start fires. Both agents will
>happily blind you if you get them in your eyes. Other warnings also apply.
>Not for the novice.
>
> Nitrocellulose decomposes very slowly on storage. The decomposition is auto-
>catalyzing, and can result in spontaneous explosion if the material is kept
>confined over time. The process is much faster if the material is not washed
>well enough. Nitrocellulose powders contain stabilizers such as diphenyl
>amine or ethyl centralite. DO NOT ALLOW THESE TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH
>NITRIC ACID!!!! A small amount of either substance will capture the small
>amounts of nitrogen oxides that result from decomposition. They therefore
>inhibit the autocatalysis. NC eventually will decompose in any case.
>
>Again, this is inherently dangerous and illegal in certain areas. I got away
>with it. You may kill yourself and others if you try it.
>
>                                                             -Larry


Commercially produced Nitrocellulose is stabilized by:

1. Spinning it in a large centrifuge to remove the remaining acid, which is
recycled.

2. Immersion in a large quantity of fresh water.

3. Boiling it in acidulated water and washing it thoroughly with fresh water.

   If the NC is to be used as smokeless powder it is boiled in a soda solution,
then rinsed in fresh water.

The purer the acid used (lower water content) the more complete the nitration
will be, and the more powerful the nitrocellulose produced.

   There are actually three forms of cellulose nitrate, only one of which is
useful for pyrotechnic purposes. The mononitrate and dinitrate are not
explosive, and are produced by incomplete nitration. If nitration is allowed
to proceed to complete the explosive trinatrate is formed.

     CH OH                           CH ONO
     | 2                             | 2   2
     |                               |
     C-----O         HNO             C-----O
    /H      \           3           /H      \
 -CH         CH-O-         -->   -CH         CH-O-
    \H     H/        H SO           \H     H/
     C-----C          2  4           C-----C
     |     |                         |     |
     OH    OH                        ONO   ONO
                                        2     2

     CELLULOSE                   CELLULOSE TRINITRATE

*End Addendum


3.23     FUEL-OXODIZER MIXTURES

     There are nearly an infinite number of fuel-oxodizer mixtures that can be
produced by a misguided individual in his own home.  Some are very effective
and dangerous, while others are safer and less effective.  A list of working
fuel- oxodizer mixtures will be presented, but the exact measurements of each
compound are debatable for maximum effectiveness.  A rough estimate will be
given of the percentages of each fuel and oxodizer:

oxodizer, % by weight         fuel, % by weight    speed #     notes
================================================================================ 
potassium chlorate 67%          sulfur 33%            5   friction/impact        
                                                          sensitive; unstable

potassium chlorate 50%          sugar 35%             5   fairly slow burning;   
                                charcoal 15%              unstable

potassium chlorate 50%          sulfur 25%            8      extremely           
                                magnesium or                 unstable!
                                aluminum dust 25%

potassium chlorate 67%          magnesium or          8          unstable        
                               aluminum dust 33%

sodium nitrate 65%            magnesium dust 30%      ?        unpredictable     
                              sulfur 5%                         burn rate

potassium permanganate 60%     glycerine 40%          4     delay before         
                                                          ignition depends
WARNING: IGNITES SPONTANEOUSLY WITH GLYCERINE!!!          upon grain size

potassium permanganate 67%     sulfur 33%             5       unstable

potassium permangenate 60%     sulfur 20%             5       unstable           
                               magnesium or
                               aluminum dust 20%

potassium permanganate 50%     sugar 50%              3          ?

potassium nitrate 75%         charcoal 15%            7      this is             
                              sulfur 10%                    black powder!

potassium nitrate 60%         powdered iron           1     burns very hot       
                              or magnesium 40%



 Oxidizer, % by weight         fuel, % by weight    speed #     notes
================================================================================ 
potassium chlorate 75%        phosphorus              8  used to make strike-    
                         sesquisulfide 25%            anywhere matches

ammonium perchlorate 70%     aluminum dust 30%        6     solid fuel for       
                           and small amount of               space shuttle
                           iron oxide

potassium perchlorate 67%     magnesium or           10      flash powder
(sodium perchlorate)          aluminum dust 33%

potassium perchlorate 60%    magnesium or             8      alternate
(sodium perchlorate)         aluminum dust 20%               flash powder
                             sulfur 20%

barium nitrate 30%           aluminum dust 30%        9       alternate 
potassium perchlorate 30%                                    flash powder

barium peroxide 90%          magnesium dust 5%       10       alternate          
                             aluminum dust 5%                flash powder

potassium perchlorate 50%     sulfur 25%              8       slightly           
                              magnesium or                    unstable
                              aluminum dust 25%

potassium chlorate 67%        red phosphorus 27%      7     very unstable 
calcium carbonate 3%          sulfur 3%                     impact sensitive

potassium permanganate 50%    powdered sugar 25%      7       unstable;          
                              aluminum or                     ignites if
                              magnesium dust 25%              it gets wet!

potassium chlorate 75%        charcoal dust 15%       6        unstable          
                              sulfur 10%
================================================================================

NOTE: Mixtures that uses substitutions of sodium perchlorate for potassium      
perchlorate become moisture-absorbent and less stable.

     The higher the speed number, the faster the fuel-oxodizer mixture burns
AFTER ignition.  Also, as a rule, the finer the powder, the faster the rate of
burning.

     As one can easily see, there is a wide variety of fuel-oxodizer mixtures
that can be made at home.  By altering the amounts of fuel and oxodizer(s),
different burn rates can be achieved, but this also can change the sensitivity
of the mixture.

3.24    PERCHLORATES

     As a rule, any oxidizable material that is treated with perchloric acid
will become a low order explosive.  Metals, however, such as potassium or
sodium, become excellent bases for flash-type powders.  Some materials that
can be perchlorated are cotton, paper, and sawdust.  To produce potassium or
sodium perchlorate, simply acquire the hydroxide of that metal, e.g. sodium or
potassium hydroxide.  It is a good idea to test the material to be treated
with a very small amount of acid, since some of the materials tend to react
explosively when contacted by the acid.  Solutions of sodium or potassium
hydroxide are ideal.

3.3     HIGH-ORDER EXPLOSIVES

     High order explosives can be made in the home without too much
difficulty. The main problem is acquiring the nitric acid to produce the high
explosive. Most high explosives detonate because their molecular structure is
made up of some fuel and usually three or more NO2 ( nitrogen dioxide )
molecules.  T.N.T., or Tri-Nitro-Toluene is an excellent example of such a
material.  When a shock wave passes through an molecule of T.N.T., the
nitrogen dioxide bond is broken, and the oxygen combines with the fuel, all in
a matter of microseconds.  This accounts for the great power of nitrogen-based
explosives.  Remembering that these procedures are NEVER TO BE CARRIED OUT,
several methods of manufacturing high-order explosives in the home are listed.

3.31     R.D.X.

     R.D.X., also called cyclonite, or composition C-1 (when mixed with
plasticisers) is one of the most valuable of all military explosives.  This is
because it has more than 150% of the power of T.N.T., and is much easier to
detonate.  It should not be used alone, since it can be set off by a not-too
severe shock.  It is less sensitive than mercury fulminate, or nitroglycerine,
but it is still too sensitive to be used alone.  R.D.X. can be made by the
surprisingly simple method outlined hereafter.  It is much easier to make in
the home than all other high explosives, with the possible exception of
ammonium nitrate.


     MATERIALS                    EQUIPMENT
                         

     hexamine                     500 ml beaker
       or
     methenamine                  glass stirring rod
     fuel tablets (50 g)
                                  funnel and filter paper
     concentrated
     nitric acid (550 ml)         ice bath container
                                  (plastic bucket)
     distilled water
                                  centigrade thermometer
     table salt
                                  blue litmus paper
     ice

     ammonium nitrate

1) Place the beaker in the ice bath, (see section 3.13, steps 3-4) and carefully 
   pour 550 ml of concentrated nitric acid into the beaker.

2) When the acid has cooled to below 20 degrees centigrade, add small amounts
  of the crushed fuel tablets to the beaker.  The temperature will rise, and
  it must be kept below 30 degrees centigrade, or dire consequences could
  result. Stir the mixture.

3) Drop the temperature below zero degrees centigrade, either by adding more
  ice and salt to the old ice bath, or by creating a new ice bath.  Or,
  ammonium nitrate could be added to the old ice bath, since it becomes cold
  when it is put in water. Continue stirring the mixture, keeping the
  temperature below zero degrees centigrade for at least twenty minutes

4) Pour the mixture into a litre of crushed ice.  Shake and stir the mixture,
  and allow it to melt.  Once it has melted, filter out the crystals, and
  dispose of the corrosive liquid.

5) Place the crystals into one half a litre of boiling distilled water.
 Filter the crystals, and test them with the blue litmus paper.  Repeat steps
 4 and 5 until the litmus paper remains blue.  This will make the crystals
 more stable and safe.

6) Store the crystals wet until ready for use. Allow them to dry completely
  using them. R.D.X. is not stable enough to use alone as an explosive.

7) Composition C-1 can be made by mixing 88.3% R.D.X. (by weight) with 11.1%
 mineral oil, and 0.6% lecithin. Kneed these material together in a plastic
 bag. This is a good way to desensitize the explosive.


8) H.M.X. is a mixture of T.N.T. and R.D.X.; the ratio is 50/50, by weight.   
  it is not as sensitive, and is almost as powerful as straight R.D.X.

9) By adding ammonium nitrate to the crystals of R.D.X. after step 5, it
  should be possible to desensitize the R.D.X. and increase its power, since
  ammonium nitrate is very insensitive and powerful. Soduim or potassium
  nitrate could also be added; a small quantity is sufficient to stabilize the
  R.D.X.

10) R.D.X. detonates at a rate of 8550 meters/second when it is compressed to a  
   density of 1.55 g/cubic cm.

3.32      AMMONIUM NITRATE

     Ammonium nitrate could be made by a terrorist according to the hap-hazard
method in section 2.33, or it could be stolen from a construction site, since
it is usually used in blasting, because it is very stable and insensitive to
shock and heat.  A terrorist could also buy several Instant Cold-Paks from a
drug store or medical supply store.  The major disadvantage with ammonium
nitrate, from a terrorist's point of view, would be detonating it.  A rather
powerful priming charge must be used, and usually with a booster charge.  The
diagram below will explain.

          _________________________________________
          |       |                               |
  ________|       |                               |
     |       | T.N.T.|      ammonium nitrate      |
     |primer |booster|                            |
     |_______|       |                            |
          |       |                               |
          |_______|_______________________________|

     The primer explodes, detonating the T.N.T., which detonates, sending      a
tremendous shockwave through the ammonium nitrate, detonating it.


3.33     ANFOS

     ANFO is an acronym for Ammonium Nitrate - Fuel Oil Solution.  An ANFO
solves the only other major problem with ammonium nitrate: its tendency to
pick up water vapor from the air.  This results in the explosive failing to
detonate when such an attempt is made.  This is rectified by mixing 94% (by
weight) ammonium nitrate with 6% fuel oil, or kerosene.  The kerosene keeps
the ammonium nitrate from absorbing moisture from the air.  An ANFO also
requires a large shockwave to set it off.


* Addendum From hayes.ims.alaska.edu (internet)
>
>  Lately there was been a lot said about various ANFO mixtures.  These are
>mixtures of Ammonium Nitrate with Fuel Oil.  This forms a reasonably powerful
>commercial explosive, with its primary benifit being the fact that it is
>cheap.  Bulk ANFO should run somewhere around 9-12 cents the pound. This is
>dirt cheap compared to 40% nitro gel dynamites at 1 to 2 dollars the pound.
>To keep the cost down, it is frequently mixed at the borehole by a bulk
>truck, which has a pneumatic delivery hopper of AN prills (thats pellets to
>most of the world) and a tank of fuel oil.  It is strongly recommended that a
>dye of some sort, preferably red be added to the fuel oil to make it easier
>to distinguish treated AN explosive from untreated oxidizer.
>
>   ANFO is not without its problems.  To begin with, it is not that sensitive
>to detonation.  Number eight caps are not reliable when used with ANFO.
>Booster charges must be used to avoid dud blast holes.  Common boosters
>include sticks of various dynamites, small pours of water gel explosives,
>dupont's detaprime cast boosters, and Atlas's power primer cast explosive.
>The need to use boosters raises the cost.  Secondly, ANFO is very water
>susceptable.  It dissolves in it, or absorbes it from the atmosphere, and
>becomes quite worthless real quick.  It must be protected from water with
>borehole liners, and still must be shot real quick.  Third, ANFO has a low
>density, somewhere around .85.  This means ANFO sacks float, which is no
>good, and additionally, the low density means the power is somewhat low.
>Generally, the more weight of explosive one can place in a hole, the more
>effective.  ANFO blown into the hole with a pneumatic system fractures as it
>is places, raising the density to about .9 or .92.  The delivery system adds
>to the cost, and must be anti static in nature.  Aluminum is added to some
>commercial, cartridge packaged ANFOs to raise the density---this also raises
>power considerable, and a few of these mixtures are reliablly cap sensitive.
>
>  Now than, for formulations.  An earlier article mentioned 2.5 kilos of
>ammonium nitrate, and I believe 5 to 6 liters of diesel.  This mixture is
>extremely over fueled, and I'd be surprised if it worked.  Dupont recommends
>a AN to FO ratio of 93% AN to 7% FO by weight.  Hardly any oil at all.  More
>oil makes the mixture less explosive by absorbing detonation energy, and
>excess fuel makes detonation byproducts health hazzards as the mixture is
>oxygen poor.  Note that commercial fertilizer products do not work as well as
>the porous AN prills dupont sells, because fertilizers are coated with
>various materials meant to seal them from moisture, which keep the oil from
>being absorbed.

>   Another problem with ANFO:  for reliable detonation, it needs confinement,
>either from a casing, borehole, etc, or from the mass of the charge.  Thus,
>a pile of the stuff with a booster in it is likely to scatter and burn rather
>than explode when the booster is shot.  In boreholes, or reasonable strong
>casings (cardboard, or heavy plastic film sacks) the stuff detonated quite
>well.  So will big piles.  Thats how the explosive potential was discovered:
>a small oil freighter rammed a bulk chemical ship.  Over several hours the
>cargoes intermixed to some degree, and reached critical mass.  Real big
>bang.  A useful way to obtain the containment needed is to replace the fuel
>oil with a wax fuel.  Mix the AN with just enough melted wax to form a
>cohesive mixture, mold into shape.  The wax fuels, and retains the mixture.
>This is what the US military uses as a man placed cratering charge.  The
>military literature states this can be set off by a blasting cap, but it
>is important to remember the military blasting caps are considerable more
>powerful than commercial ones.  The military rightly insists on reliability,
>and thus a strong cap (maybe 70-80 percent stronger than commercial).  They
>also tend to go overboard when calculating demolition charges...., but then
>hey, who doesn't....
>
>   Two manuals of interest:  Duponts "Blaster's Handbook", a $20 manual
>mainly useful for rock and seismographic operations.  Atlas's "Powder Manual"
>or "Manual of Rock Blasting" (I forget the title, its in the office).  This
>is a $60 book, well worth the cash, dealing with the above two topics, plus
>demolitions, and non-quarry blasting.
>
>    Incidently, combining fuel oil and ammonium nitrate constitutes the
>manufacture of a high explosive, and requires a federal permit to manufacture
>and store. Even the mines that mix it on site require the permit to
>manufacture.  Those who don't manufacture only need permits to store.  Those
>who don't store need no permits, which includes most of us:  anyone, at least
>in the US may purchase explosives, provided they are 21 or older, and have no
>criminal record.  Note they ought to be used immediately, because you do need
>a liscence to store. Note also that commercial explosives contain quantities
>of tracing agents, which make it real easy for the FBI to trace the explosion
>to the purchaser, so please, nobody blow up any banks, orphanages, or old
>folks homes, okay.
>
>                   Dean Syta, Civil Engineer at large.
*End Addendum


3.34       T.N.T.

     T.N.T., or Tri-Nitro-Toluene, is perhaps the second oldest known high
explosive. Dynamite, of course, was the first. It is certainly the best known
high explosive, since it has been popularized by early morning cartoons. It is
the standard for comparing other explosives to, since it is the most well
known. In industry, a T.N.T. is made by a three step nitration process that is
designed to conserve the nitric and sulfuric acids which are used to make the
product. A terrorist, however, would probably opt for the less economical one
step method. The one step process is performed by treating toluene with very
strong (fuming) sulfuric acid. Then, the sulfated toluene is treated with very
strong (fuming) nitric acid in an ice bath. Cold water is added the solution,
and it is filtered.


3.35     POTASSIUM CHLORATE

     Potassium chlorate itself cannot be made in the home, but it can be
obtained from labs.  If potassium chlorate is mixed with a small amount of
vaseline, or other petroleum jelly, and a shockwave is passed through it, the
material will detonate with slightly more power than black powder.  It must,
however, be confined to detonate it in this manner.  The procedure for making
such an explosive is outlined below:

     MATERIALS                    EQUIPMENT
                         
     potassium chlorate           zip-lock plastic bag
     (9 parts, by volume)

     petroleum jelly              clay grinding bowl
     (vaseline)                          or
     (1 part, by volume)          wooden bowl and wooden spoon

1)  Grind the potassium chlorate in the grinding bowl carefully and slowly,
  until the potassium chlorate is a very fine powder.  The finer that it is
  powdered, the faster (better)  it will detonate.

2)  Place the powder into the plastic bag.  Put the petroleum jelly into the
  plastic bag, getting as little on the sides of the bag as possible, i.e. put
  the vaseline on the potassium chlorate powder.

3)  Close the bag, and kneed the materials together until none of the
  potassium chlorate is dry powder that does not stick to the main glob.  If
  necessary, add a bit more petroleum jelly to the bag.

4)  The material must me used within 24 hours, or the mixture will react to
  greatly reduce the effectiveness of the explosive.  This reaction, however,
  is harmless, and releases no heat or dangerous products.

3.36     DYNAMITE

     The name dynamite comes from the Greek word "dynamis", meaning power.
Dynamite was invented by Nobel shortly after he made nitroglycerine. It was
made because nitroglycerine was so dangerously sensitive to shock. A misguided
individual with some sanity would, after making nitroglycerine (an insane act)
would immediately convert it to dynamite. This can be done by adding various
materials to the nitroglycerine, such as sawdust. The sawdust holds a large
weight of nitroglycerine per volume. Other materials, such as ammonium nitrate
could be added, and they would tend to desensitize the explosive, and increase
the power.  But even these nitroglycerine compounds are not really safe.

3.37     NITROSTARCH EXPLOSIVES

     Nitrostarch explosives are simple to make, and are fairly powerful.  All
that need be done is treat various starches with a mixture of concentrated
nitric and sulfuric acids.  10 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid is added to 10
ml of concentrated nitric acid.  To this mixture is added 0.5 grams of starch.
Cold water is added, and the apparently unchanged nitrostarch is filtered out.
Nitrostarch explosives are of slightly lower power than T.N.T., but they are
more readily detonated.


3.38     PICRIC ACID

     Picric acid, also known as Tri-Nitro-Phenol, or T.N.P., is a military
explosive that is most often used as a booster charge to set off another less
sensitive explosive, such as T.N.T.  It another explosive that is fairly
simple to make, assuming that one can acquire the concentrated sulfuric and
nitric acids.  Its procedure for manufacture is given in many college
chemistry lab manuals, and is easy to follow.  The main problem with picric
acid is its tendency to form dangerously sensitive and unstable picrate salts,
such as potassium picrate.  For this reason, it is usually made into a safer
form, such as ammonium picrate, also called explosive D.  A social deviant
would probably use a formula similar to the one presented here to make picric
acid.

     MATERIALS                         EQUIPMENT
                              

     phenol (9.5 g)                    500 ml flask

     concentrated                      adjustable heat source
     sulfuric acid  (12.5 ml)
                                       1000 ml beaker
     concentrated nitric               or other container
     acid (38 ml)                      suitable for boiling in

     distilled water                   filter paper
                                       and funnel

                                       glass stirring rod


1) Place 9.5 grams of phenol into the 500 ml flask, and carefully add 12.5
  ml of concentrated sulfuric acid and stir the mixture.

2) Put 400 ml of tap water into the 1000 ml beaker or boiling container and   
  bring the water to a gentle boil.

3) After warming the 500 ml flask under hot tap water, place it in the boiling
  water, and continue to stir the mixture of phenol and acid for about thirty
  minutes.  After thirty minutes, take the flask out, and allow it to cool for
  about five minutes.

4) Pour out the boiling water used above, and after allowing the container to
  cool, use it to create an ice bath, similar to the one used in section 3.13,
  steps 3-4.  Place the 500 ml flask with the mixed acid an phenol in the ice
  bath.  Add 38 ml of concentrated nitric acid in small amounts, stirring the
  mixture constantly.  A vigorous but "harmless" reaction should occur.  When
  the mixture stops reacting vigorously, take the flask out of the ice bath.

5) Warm the ice bath container, if it is glass, and then begin boiling more
  tap water.  Place the flask containing the mixture in the boiling water, and
  heat it in the boiling water for 1.5 to 2 hours.

6) Add 100 ml of cold distilled water to the solution, and chill it in an ice   
  bath until it is cold.

7) Filter out the yellowish-white picric acid crystals by pouring the solution
  through the filter paper in the funnel.  Collect the liquid and dispose of
  it in a safe place, since it is corrosive.

8) Wash out the 500 ml flask with distilled water, and put the contents of the
  filter paper in the flask.  Add 300 ml of water, and shake vigorously.

9) Re-filter the crystals, and allow them to dry.

10) Store the crystals in a safe place in a glass container, since they will    
  react with metal containers to produce picrates that could explode
  spontaneously.


3.39     AMMONIUM PICRATE

     Ammonium picrate, also called Explosive D, is another safety explosive.
It requires a substantial shock to cause it to detonate, slightly less than
that required to detonate ammonium nitrate.  It is much safer than picric
acid, since it has little tendency to form hazardous unstable salts when
placed in metal containers.  It is simple to make from picric acid and clear
household ammonia. All that need be done is put the picric acid crystals into
a glass container and dissolve them in a great quantity of hot water.  Add
clear household ammonia in excess, and allow the excess ammonia to evaporate.
The powder remaining should be ammonium picrate.


3.40   NITROGEN TRICHLORIDE

     Nitrogen trichloride, also known as chloride of azode, is an oily yellow
liquid.  It explodes violently when it is heated above 60 degrees celsius, or
when it comes in contact with an open flame or spark.  It is fairly simple to
produce.

1)  In a beaker, dissolve about 5 teaspoons of ammonium nitrate in water. Do
  not put so much ammonium nitrate into the solution that some of it remains
  undissolved in the bottom of the beaker.

2)  Collect a quantity of chlorine gas in a second beaker by mixing
   hydrochloric acid with potassium permanganate in a large flask with a
   stopper and glass pipe.

3)  Place the beaker containing the chlorine gas upside down on top of the
   beaker containing the ammonium nitrate solution, and tape the beakers
   together.  Gently heat the bottom beaker.  When this is done, oily yellow
   droplets will begin to form on the surface of the solution, and sink down
   to the bottom.  At this time, remove the heat source immediately.

    Alternately, the chlorine can be bubbled through the ammonium nitrate    
 solution, rather than collecting the gas in a beaker, but this requires
 timing and a stand to hold the beaker and test tube.

    The chlorine gas can also be mixed with anhydrous ammonia gas, by gently
 heating a flask filled with clear household ammonia.  Place the glass tubes
 from the chlorine-generating flask and the tube from the ammonia-generating
 flask in another flask that contains water.

4)  Collect the yellow droplets with an eyedropper, and use them immediately,    
  since nitrogen trichloride decomposes in 24 hours.


3.41     LEAD AZIDE

     Lead Azide is a material that is often used as a booster charge for other
explosive, but it does well enough on its own as a fairly sensitive explosive.
It does not detonate too easily by percussion or impact, but it is easily
detonated by heat from an igniter wire, or a blasting cap.  It is simple to
produce, assuming that the necessary chemicals can be procured.

   By dissolving sodium azide and lead acetate in water in separate beakers,
the two materials are put into an aqueous state.  Mix the two beakers
together, and apply a gentle heat. Add an excess of the lead acetate solution,
until no reaction occurs, and the precipitate on the bottom of the beaker
stops forming.

   Filter off the solution, and wash the precipitate in hot water. The
precipitate is lead azide, and it must be stored wet for safety. If lead
acetate cannot be found, simply acquire acetic acid, and put lead metal in it.
Black powder bullets work well for this purpose.

3.5     OTHER "EXPLOSIVES"

     The remaining section covers the other types of materials that can be
used to destroy property by fire.  Although none of the materials presented
here are explosives, they still produce explosive-style results.

3.51     THERMITE

     Thermite is a fuel-oxodizer mixture that is used to generate tremendous
amounts of heat. It was not presented in section 3.23 because it does not
react nearly as readily. It is a mixture of iron oxide and aluminum, both
finely powdered. When it is ignited, the aluminum burns, and extracts the
oxygen from the iron oxide. This is really two very exothermic reactions that
produce a combined temperature of about 2200 degrees C. This is half the heat
produced by an atomic weapon. It is difficult to ignite, however, but when it
is ignited, it is one of the most effective firestarters around.

     MATERIALS
     

     powdered aluminum (10 g)

     powdered iron oxide (10 g)

1) There is no special procedure or equipment required to make thermit.
 Simply mix the two powders together, and try to make the mixture as
 homogenous as possible.  The ratio of iron oxide to aluminum is 50% / 50% by
 weight, and be made in greater or lesser amounts.


2) Ignition of thermite can be accomplished by adding a small amount of
  potassium chlorate to the thermite, and pouring a few drops of sulfuric acid
  on it.  This method and others will be discussed later in section 4.33.  The
  other method of igniting thermite is with a magnesium strip.  Finally, by
  using common sparkler-type fireworks placed in the thermit, the mixture can
  be ignited.


3.52     MOLOTOV COCKTAILS

     First used by Russians against German tanks, the Molotov cocktail is now
exclusively used by terrorists worldwide. They are extremely simple to make,
and can produce devastating results. By taking any highly flammable material,
such as gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, ethyl or methyl alcohol, lighter
fluid, turpentine, or any mixture of the above, and putting it into a large
glass bottle, anyone can make an effective firebomb. After putting the
flammable liquid in the bottle, simply put a piece of cloth that is soaked in
the liquid in the top of the bottle so that it fits tightly.

 Then, wrap some of the cloth around the neck and tie it, but be sure to leave
a few inches of lose cloth to light. Light the exposed cloth, and throw the
bottle. If the burning cloth does not go out, and if the bottle breaks on
impact, the contents of the bottle will spatter over a large area near the
site of impact, and burst into flame.

Flammable mixtures such as kerosene and motor oil should be mixed with a more
volatile and flammable liquid, such as gasoline, to insure ignition. A mixture
such as tar or grease and gasoline will stick to the surface that it strikes,
and burn hotter, and be more difficult to extinguish. A mixture such as this
must be shaken well before it is lit and thrown


3.53     CHEMICAL FIRE BOTTLE

     The chemical fire bottle is really an advanced molotov cocktail.  Rather
than using the burning cloth to ignite the flammable liquid, which has at best
a fair chance of igniting the liquid, the chemical fire bottle utilizes the
very hot and violent reaction between sulfuric acid and potassium chlorate.
When the container breaks, the sulfuric acid in the mixture of gasoline sprays
onto the paper soaked in potassium chlorate and sugar.  The paper, when struck
by the acid, instantly bursts into a white flame, igniting the gasoline.  The
chance of failure to ignite the gasoline is less than 2%, and can be reduced
to 0%, if there is enough potassium chlorate and sugar to spare.


     MATERIALS                         EQUIPMENT
                              

     potassium chlorate               glass bottle
     (2 teaspoons)                    (12 oz.)

     sugar (2 teaspoons)              cap for bottle, w/plastic inside               
                      with plastic inside

     conc. sulfuric acid (4 oz.)      cooking pan with raised edges

     gasoline (8 oz.)                 paper towels

                                      glass or plastic cup and spoon

1) Test the cap of the bottle with a few drops of sulfuric acid to make sure
  that the acid will not eat away the bottle cap during storage.  If the acid
  eats through it in 24 hours, a new top must be found and tested, until  a
  cap that the acid does not eat through is found.  A glass top is excellent.

2) Carefully pour 8 oz. of gasoline into the glass bottle.

3) Carefully pour 4 oz. of concentrated sulfuric acid into the glass bottle.
  Wipe up any spills of acid on the sides of the bottle, and screw the cap on
  the bottle.  Wash the bottle's outside with plenty of water.  Set it aside
  to dry.

4) Put about two teaspoons of potassium chlorate and about two teaspoons of   
  sugar into the glass or plastic cup.  Add about 1/2 cup of boiling water, or
  enough to dissolve all of the potassium chlorate and sugar.

5) Place a sheet of paper towel in the cooking pan with raised edges.  Fold
  the paper towel in half, and pour the solution of dissolved potassium
  chlorate and sugar on it until it is thoroughly wet.  Allow the towel to
  dry.

6) When it is dry, put some glue on the outside of the glass bottle containing
  the gasoline and sulfuric acid mixture.  Wrap the paper towel around the
  bottle, making sure that it sticks to it in all places.  Store the bottle
  in a place where it will not be broken or tipped over.

7) When finished, the solution in the bottle should appear as two distinct
  liquids, a dark brownish-red solution on the bottom, and a clear solution on
  top.  The two solutions will not mix.  To use the chemical fire bottle,
  simply throw it at any hard surface.

8) NEVER OPEN THE BOTTLE, SINCE SOME SULFURIC ACID MIGHT BE ON THE CAP, WHICH   
  COULD TRICKLE DOWN THE SIDE OF THE BOTTLE AND IGNITE THE POTASSIUM CHLORATE,
  CAUSING A FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION.

9) To test the device, tear a small piece of the paper towel off the bottle,
  and put a few drops of sulfuric acid on it.  The paper towel should
  immediately burst into a white flame.


3.54     BOTTLED GAS EXPLOSIVES

     Bottled gas, such as butane for refilling lighters, propane for propane
stoves or for bunsen burners, can be used to produce a powerful explosion. To
make such a device, all that a simple-minded anarchist would have to do would
be to take his container of bottled gas and place it above a can of Sterno or
other gelatinized fuel, light the fuel and run. Depending on the fuel used,
and on the thickness of the fuel container, the liquid gas will boil and
expand to the point of bursting the container in about five minutes.

 In theory, the gas would immediately be ignited by the burning gelatinized
fuel, producing a large fireball and explosion. Unfortunately, the bursting
of the bottled gas container often puts out the fuel, thus preventing the
expanding gas from igniting.  By using a metal bucket half filled with
gasoline, however, the chances of ignition are better, since the gasoline is
less likely to be extinguished.  Placing the canister of bottled gas on a bed
of burning charcoal soaked in gasoline would probably be the most effective
way of securing ignition of the expanding gas, since although the bursting of
the gas container may blow out the flame of the gasoline, the burning charcoal
should immediately re-ignite it.  Nitrous oxide, hydrogen, propane, acetylene,
or any other flammable gas will do nicely.

Addendum 4/12/91:

  During the recent gulf war, fuel/air bombs were touted as being second only
to nuclear weapons in their devastating effects. These are basically similar
to the above devices, except that an explosive charge is used to rupture the
fuel container and disperse it over a wide area. a second charge is used to
detonate the fuel. The reaction is said to produce a massive shockwave and to
burn all the oxygen in a large area, causing suffocation.

  Another benefit of a fuel-air explosive is that the gas will seep into
  fortified bunkers and other partially-sealed spaces, so a large bomb placed
  in a building would result in the destruction of the majority of surrounding
  rooms, rendering it structurally unsound.

*End addendum


4.0     USING EXPLOSIVES

     Once a terrorist has made his explosives, the next logical step is to
apply them. Explosives have a wide range of uses, from harassment, to
vandalism, to murder. NONE OF THE IDEAS PRESENTED HERE ARE EVER TO BE CARRIED
OUT, EITHER IN PART OR IN FULL!  DOING SO CAN LEAD TO PROSECUTION, FINES, AND
IMPRISONMENT! The first step that a person that would use explosive would take
would be to determine how big an explosive device would be needed to do
whatever had to be done. Then, he would have to decide what to make his bomb
with. He would also have to decide on how he wanted to detonate the device,
and determine where the best placement for it would be. Then, it would be
necessary to see if the device could be put where he wanted it without it
being discovered or moved. Finally, he would actually have to sit down and
build his explosive device. These are some of the topics covered in the next
section.

4.1     SAFETY

     There is no such thing as a "safe" explosive device.  One can only speak in
terms of relative safety, or less unsafe.


4.2     IGNITION DEVICES

     There are many ways to ignite explosive devices.  There is the classic
"light the fuse, throw the bomb, and run" approach, and there are sensitive
mercury switches, and many things in between.  Generally, electrical
detonation systems are safer than fuses, but there are times when fuses are
more appropriate than electrical systems; it is difficult to carry an
electrical detonation system into a stadium, for instance, without being
caught.  A device with a fuse or impact detonating fuse would be easier to
hide.

4.21     FUSE IGNITION

     The oldest form of explosive ignition, fuses are perhaps the favorite
type of simple ignition system.  By simply placing a piece of waterproof fuse
in a device, one can have almost guaranteed ignition.  Modern waterproof fuse
is extremely reliable, burning at a rate of about 2.5 seconds to the inch.  It
is available as model rocketry fuse in most hobby shops, and costs about $3.00
for a nine-foot length.  Fuse is a popular ignition system for pipe bombers
because of its simplicity.  All that need be done is light it with a match or
lighter. Of course, if the Army had fuses like this, then the grenade, which
uses fuse ignition, would be very impracticle.  If a grenade ignition system
can be acquired, by all means, it is the most effective.  But, since such
things do not just float around, the next best thing is to prepare a fuse
system which does not require the use of a match or lighter, but still retains
its simplicity. One such method is described below:


     MATERIALS
     _________

     strike-on-cover type matches

     electrical tape or duct tape

     waterproof fuse

1) To determine the burn rate of a particular type of fuse, simply measure a   
6 inch or longer piece of fuse and ignite it.  With a stopwatch, press the   
start button the at the instant when the fuse lights, and stop the watch when   
the fuse reaches its end.  Divide the time of burn by the length of fuse, and   
you have the burn rate of the fuse, in seconds per inch.  This will be shown   
below:

     Suppose an eight inch piece of fuse is burned, and its complete time     
 of combustion is 20 seconds.

     20 seconds
       = 2.5 seconds per inch.
     8 inches

     If a delay of 10 seconds was desired with this fuse, divide the desired     
 time by the number of seconds per inch:

     10 seconds
      = 4 inches
     2.5 seconds / inch

NOTE: THE LENGTH OF FUSE HERE MEANS LENGTH OF FUSE TO THE POWDER.  SOME FUSE,
  AT LEAST AN INCH, SHOULD BE INSIDE THE DEVICE.  ALWAYS ADD THIS EXTRA INCH,
  AND PUT THIS EXTRA INCH AN INCH INTO THE DEVICE!!!

2) After deciding how long a delay is desired before the explosive device is
  to go off, add about 1/2 an inch to the premeasured amount of fuse, and
  cut it off.

3) Carefully remove the cardboard matches from the paper match case.  Do not
  pull off individual matches; keep all the matches attached to the cardboard
  base.  Take one of the cardboard match sections, and leave the other one
  to make a second igniter.

4) Wrap the matches around the end of the fuse, with the heads of the matches
  touching the very end of the fuse.  Tape them there securely, making sure
  not to put tape over the match heads.  Make sure they are very secure by
  pulling on them at the base of the assembly.  They should not be able to
  move.


5) Wrap the cover of the matches around the matches attached to the fuse,
  making sure that the striker paper is below the match heads and the striker
  faces the match heads.  Tape the paper so that is fairly tight around the
  matches. Do not tape the cover of the striker to the fuse or to the matches.
  Leave enough of the match book to pull on for ignition.

          _____________________
          \                   /
           \                 /  ------ match book cover
            \               /
             |    M|f|M ---|------- match head
             |    A|u|A    |
             |    T|s|T    |
             |    C|e|C    |
             |tapeH|.|Htape|
             |     |f|     |
             |#####|u|#####|-------- striking paper
             |#####|s|#####|
             \     |e|     /
              \    |.|    /
               \   |f|   /
                \  |u|  /
                |ta|s|pe|
                |ta|e|pe|
                   |.|
                   |f|
                   |u|
                   |s|
                   |e|
                   |.|
                   |_|


     The match book is wrapped around the matches, and is taped to itself.     
The matches are taped to the fuse.  The striker will rub against the     
matcheads when the match book is pulled.

6) When ready to use, simply pull on the match paper.  It should pull the
  striking paper across the match heads with enough friction to light them. In
  turn, the burning matcheads will light the fuse, since it adjacent to the
  burning match heads.

4.22     IMPACT IGNITION

     Impact ignition is an excellent method of ignition for spontaneous
terrorist activities.  The problem with an impact-detonating device is that it
must be kept in a very safe container so that it will not explode while being
transported to the place where it is to be used.  This can be done by having a
removable impact initiator.


     The best and most reliable impact initiator is one that uses factory made
initiators or primers. A no. 11 cap for black powder firearms is one such
primer. They usually come in boxes of 100, and cost about $2.50. To use such a
cap, however, one needs a nipple that it will fit on. Black powder nipples are
also available in gun stores. All that a person has to do is ask for a package
of nipples and the caps that fit them.  Nipples have a hole that goes all the
way through them, and they have a threaded end, and an end to put the cap on. A
cutaway of a nipple is shown below:

                          ________________
                         |                |
                _        |                |
               | |       |/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\|
        _______| |^^^^^^^|
       |      ___________|
       |     |
no. 11       |_______|
it's okay to substitute them with something that can hold the paper and is
long enough so that you won't be harmed by the flames.

 After acquiring all of the ingredients, you can now start to make the bomb.
The procedure is easy.  First, puncture a hole at the bottom of the milk
carton with a screw driver or equivalent.  Next fill one-fourth of the milk
carton with lighter fluid.

  Place the milk carton in a fairly large area outisde.  Hold a piece of paper
between the chopsticks and light the paper with a match.  Cautiously place the
lighted paper under the hole of the carton and BOOM! You have your loud
explosion with little damage to the surrounding area.  It would be a good idea
to have some water handy to extinguish any flames.

 Be careful when doing this and have fun.

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